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August 2026

Learning Meadow butterfly

Welcome to the new look of our Viking Voice, the official monthly newsletter of Columbus Academy. The goal is to provide you with important news and details of what's ahead in a format that is more visually appealing than overwhelming. For more frequent doses of info and accolades, follow us on Instagram.

Tim Leet Learning Meadow

Leet Learning Meadow in bloom
Leet Learning Meadow in bloom
Leet Learning Meadow in bloom

Announced last month, our new learning meadow near the entrance to campus has been named in honor of the late Tim Leet, a beloved faculty member who passed away in late May after a five-month battle with cancer. In his lessons on ethics and character, Tim encouraged the kind of self-reflection and contemplation that the meadow is designed to inspire. The collection of images above were captured by Paul Molitor, one of our campus safety resource officers who also happens to be a talented photographer.

First Day of School photo

See You Soon!

With the first day of school just two weeks away, please review this back-to-school checklist as well as Head of School Melissa Soderberg's summer letter, and be sure to check your inboxes this Wednesday for important details from each division office. Also, please read this welcome-back message from Senior Food Service Director Stephanie Campbell (affectionately known as Chef Steph in our dining hall) and check out the following links regarding our delicious school lunches:


Celebrate photos

News to Celebrate

There is always much to celebrate in our community, and each month we’ll feature a few accomplishments by our students, faculty/staff and alumni. Highlighting this summer’s news was our 2026 AP exam report, which recognized 127 AP Scholars and a record-tying 85 upper-schoolers who achieved the highest honor of AP Scholar with Distinction. In total, 227 students achieved a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam, representing 59% of our entire Upper School! Click below for more reasons to celebrate:



Grown Here photo

Things to Do

The individual letters coming from our division offices on Wednesday will include many events to mark your calendars for, so please keep an eye on your inbox. In the meantime, check out our recently unveiled Grown Here Athletic Philosophy, special T-shirts you can preorder for the Charlie David Dinner (maroon-out theme) & Alumni Weekend (honoring recently retired Academy legends John Wuorinen '80 & John Exline '64), and the upcoming gatherings below that all are invited to attend:


This newsletter format is a work-in-progress so please feel free to share feedback by replying to this email or sending a message to info@columbusacademy.org. Thank you for reading, and best wishes for a wonderful school year!

 
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